Hygienic pad and dispenser unit



Sept. 26, 1967 G. B LARSON 3,

HYGIENIC PAD AND DISPENSER UNIT Filed May 19, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY $4M Sept. 26, 1967 G. B. LARSON 3,343,898

HYGIENIC PAD AND DISPENSER UNIT Filed May 19, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,343,898 HYGIENIC PAD AND DISPENSER UNIT George B. Larson, 2049 Westridge Road, Los Angeles, Calif. 90049 Filed May 19, 1965, Ser. No. 456,942 4 Claims. (Cl. 312-60) The present invention relates generally to a hygienic unit for use by men. More specifically, this invention relates to a dispenser unit and disposable absorbent pads to be used by men following urination to avoid soiling their clothing or themselves.

While rolls or sheets of paper are provided for use in both private and public rest rooms, such paper is primarily suitable for use only after defecation. Furthermore, in mens public rest rooms where there are urinals, no paper is provided at all. The paper which is commercially available is not convenient to use even if it were made available near the urinals.

It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to provide an improved hygienic unit. More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide an absorbent pad for use by men following urination by which a man can keep his person sanitary and avoid soiling his clothing or other things about him.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent pad of unique shape which can be easilyy and conveniently used and then discarded.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide absorbent pads in a convenient dispenser unit for installation in public rest rooms in locations where ordinary forms of paper are not provided.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention Will be apparent upon reading the following description together with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an absorbent pad in unfolded position.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the finished absorbent pad.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective plan view of the pad with the edges depressed to form a pocket.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional side view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a dispenser unit containing pads.

In FIGURE 1, a flat sheet 10 is shown having a generally rectangular outline. The sheet 10 is preferably of a soft and highly absorbent nature and of sutlicient thickness to prevent small quantities of liquid from soaking rapidly through from one side to the other. In one embodiment of the invention, the sheet 10 is constructed of multiple ply to obtain the desired thickness. In another embodiment, the outer surface of sheet 10 is covered with a moisture resistant layer such as a plastic and the inside surface consists of loose fibrous material attached to the plastic layer.

The absorbent pad 11, shown in FIGURE 3, is formed by folding the sheet 10 along its minor dimension, indicated 12 in FIGURE 1. The edges 13 are secured by crimping or with an adhesive. Alternative means for forming the pad 11 may be used, such as by joining two independent sheets at three sides; or by cutting sections of a paper tubing, flattening the section and closing one end.

A tab 14 is attached at the end 15 to provide a convenient means by which the pads 11 can be dispensed. As

pad taken along shown in'FIGURE '6, the dispenser 16 has lid 17 at the top for filling, and a vertical slot 18 extending the entire height of the dispenser. The pads 11 are inserted with the tab 14 projecting through slot 18. Dispenser 16 has a spring-loaded door 19 at the bottom. With such a dispenser which can be mounted on a wall, the lowermost pad is extracted by grasping the tab and pulling straight out whereupon the door 19 will move enough to permit the pad to move out of the dispenser, but the bottom edge 20 of dispenser 16 will retain the position of the pad immediately above.

After a pad has been removed from the dispenser and is to be used, the edges are depressed inwardly as shown by the arrows 21, 22 which causes the separate halves of the sheet 10 to bow outwardly forming a cup or pocket 23. When the man is through urinating, he places the tip of his penis in the pocket 23, absorbing the last remaining drops of urine. Then the pad may be discarded. FIGURE 6 shows a receptacle 24 which is attached to the dispenser 16 to form a unit. Receptacle 24 is generally rectangular in shape and open at the top. The bottom 25 is normally closed by the door 26. To make maintenance of the unit easy and sanitary, the door 26 is hinged and is actuated by a push rod 27. Rod 27 is journaled in a bracket 28 and has a spring 29 between the bracket and the retaining tab 30. The provision of receptacle 24 will eliminate the propensity for throwing a used pad in the urinal and stopping it up. The trap door 26 makes cleaning easier.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be obvious to persons skilled in the art that alterations may be made, and it is the object of the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope and spirit of this invention.

I claim:

1. In combination, a hygienic pad and dispensing means; said pad comprising a plurality of flat, rectangular sheets of absorbent material, said sheets being joined together along three peripheral edges thereof whereby the unjoined periphery is adapted to form a pocket in said pad when the edges adjacent said unjoined periphery are depressed inwardly; a tab secured to a point along one of the joined edges; said dispensing means comprising a housing having a vertical slot, said slot positioned to permit said tabs to project therethrough when said pads are in said housing, and a spring-loaded door mounted on the bottom of said housing.

2. A combination of the class described in claim 1 wherein said absorbent material comprises a sheet of multiple ply.

3. A combination of the class described in claim 1 wherein said absorbent material comprises: a first outer sheet of moisture-proof material; and a second, inner sheet of absorbent material.

4. In combination, a hygienic pad and dispensing means; said pad comprising a plurality of flat, rectangular sheets of absorbent material, said sheets being joined together along three peripheral edges thereof whereby the unjoined periphery is adapted to form a pocket in said pad when the edges adjacent said unjoined periphery are depressed inwardly; a tab secured to a point along one of the joined edges; said dispensing means comprising a housing having a vertical slot, said slot positioned to permit said tabs to project therethrough when said pads are in said housing, and a spring-loaded door mounted on the bottom of said housing; said dispensing means also having an open receptacle attached thereto, said receptacle having a trap door mounted on the bottom thereof and manually operabie means for'op'ening said door."

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 176,341 4/1876 Osbourn 20657 888,821 5/1908 Kleine 206-57 1,692,156 11/1928 Carruthers 22134 4 1,944,431 1/ 1934 Hope et a1 31260 2,044,284 6/ 1936 Dargavel 118425 3,124,268 3/1964 Krueger 22136 5 ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Examiner.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A HYGIENIC PAD AND DISPENSING MEANS; SAID PAD COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF FLAT, RECTANGULAR SHEETS OF ABSORBENT MATERIAL, SAID SHEETS BEING JOINED TOGETHER ALONG THREE PERIPHERAL EDGES THEREOF WHEREBY THE UNJOINED PERIPHERY IS ADAPTED TO FORM A POCKET IN SAID PAD WHEN THE EDGES ADJACENT SAID UNJOINED PERIPHERY ARE DEPRESSED INWARDLY; A TAB SECURED TO A POINT ALONG ONE OF THE JOINED EDGES; SAID DISPENSING MEANS COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING A VERTICAL SLOT, SAID SLOT POSITIONED TO PERMIT SAID TABS TO PROJECT THERETHROUGH WHEN SAID PADS ARE IN SAID HOUSING, AND A SPRING-LOADED DOOR MOUNTED ON THE BOTTOM OF SAID HOUSING. 